FINAL FANTASY VII

The world has fallen under the dominion of the Shinra Electric Power
Company, a sinister corporation that has monopolized the planet's very
life force as Mako energy.

In the urban megalopolis of Midgar, an anti-Shinra rebel group calling
themselves Avalanche have stepped up their campaign of resistance.

Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra's elite SOLDIER unit now turned
mercenary, lends his aid to the rebels, unaware that he will be drawn
into an epic battle for the fate of the planet, while having to come to
terms with his own lost past.

I’m not going to lie, having Final Fantasy VII on a Nintendo platform and being able to bring it on the go is literally a dream come true. Yes, the game is a couple decades old at this point, but does it really matter? At $15.99 USD, we’re talking about a JRPG that could easily take upwards of 25-75 hours to complete based on your personal goals and familiarity with the title. Even I spent a solid 20 hours playing for the sake of this review, and that is with skipping lots of the side content and modestly using the speed-up feature. Needless to say, there is a lot of value to be had here.

This was Square Enix’s most ambitious, heartfelt project at the time of its release, and it still shows to this day. If there’s one thing that can be said about their more recent entries in the franchise, they might be good – some even great – games, but that “magic” that once was attached to seemingly every Final Fantasy waned long ago (in my opinion). Final Fantasy VII’s scope alone (in its original context) is magical, and it is clear to me that the team behind it put their heart, mind, and soul into the project.

There is a reason why many consider it the best Final Fantasy ever (I don’t) and why many more at least acknowledge its importance to the industry and its undeniable legacy (I do). Do yourself a favor and play this game if you never have before, and if you’re looking to return there has never been a better time to do so – minor issues aside. Final Fantasy VII might not seem as ambitious as it once did, but it is still an incredible ride for fans of the traditional JRPG.